How We Learn: The Divided Line in Plato’s “Republic”
Not every individual lesson takes us through Plato’s whole “divided line,” but each orients us toward the next stage, moving from images to Forms.
Great Ideas
The Great Conversation: Aristocracy
Is aristocracy good or bad? What about monarchy or democracy? Do we even need to commit to a single form of government?
The Great Conversation: Wealth
They say that money can’t buy happiness. All the same, most of us would appreciate the opportunity to check for ourselves.
The Great Conversation: Religion
Religion is a gigantic subject. The astonishing diversity of religions is only part of the reason; we have also to consider what religion is to different people, or to the same person in different ways.
The Great Conversation: Mind
“Either there are no thinkers, no thought, no anything; or there is a real bridge between the mind and reality.” — G. K. Chesterton
The Great Conversation: Courage
The virtues have been a favorite topic of the Great Conversation, and courage has received a surprising variety of definitions, from warlike to explicitly nonviolent.
The Great Conversation: Angels
The idea of angels provides a wealth of material not just for religious thought, but for philosophical exercises and artistic expression.